To be a Family
by Sarcasticles
Summary: There are many different values that make up a family, and each Straw Hat has a different idea on what is important. Nakama-centric, no pairings.
1. Inspiration

_Inspiration is a funny thing, and sometimes it takes the form of an eight foot tall living skeleton who was rude and perverted and made bad jokes. But when Brook sat at the piano or pulled out his violin every member of the Straw Hat Pirates would pause as the beautiful music tugged at something deep inside them, something that most of them didn't realize was there. _

Brook sipped his tea at the dinner table, quietly observing his new family as he hummed the main melody to the song he had yet to compose. Normally, of course, the living skeleton threw himself into the thick of the Straw Hat's antics, but tonight he was content to watch the strange group of pirates. Brook was basing his new masterpiece around the interaction of his new crew and he wanted it to be perfect.

It may seem strange to a non-musician, but Brook always did his best seeing with his ears (although he had neither ears nor eyes to see with!). The harmonies that the Straw Hat Pirates (his new crew!) wove were so complex and overlapping that it would entrance the old man. He supposed, in time, that he may get used to this strange phenomenon, but deep in his nonexistent heart Brook hoped that it never happened. It was just too much of a pleasure to listen to.

The song that Brook composed (he was now keeping tempo with his free hand, to go along with his humming) was a happy one. All of the separate pieces supported one another, and there was little dissonance to be found. The sharpshooter and the shipwright were discussing upgrades of some sort, while the captain and the doctor provided a unique countermelody in the form of wacky and implausible ideas as well as encouraging them to make something 'super cool'. The cook and swordsman were threatening to break out into a fight, possibly overwhelming the main melody. They were quickly stopped by the navigator, all the while being under the ever present watch of the archeologist.

They inspired each other, like every good family should. Brook did not remember when he first came to that conclusion, but once he did it became even more obvious in his eyes (although he had none!). Even the antagonistic-like rivalry between Sanji and Zoro only served to make the both of them stronger. On this magnificent ship no dream was insignificant, everyone had a place, and there was no lack of encouragement. The nine separate, yet equally important, pieces somehow managed to mix together to make an even better whole. There were a million songs that could be written in an attempt to represent what this tiny crew had, but they would all be incomplete. Brook, ever up for a challenge, was looking forward to trying.

The funny part was that they didn't even realize what they did. Perhaps it took a musician to see the wonderful harmonies they wove around themselves, how removing even one part would leave the rest of the song sadly incomplete. Or maybe it was because Brook had experienced loss that he paid particular attention to these kinds of interactions. In the end, it didn't matter. Brook was now a part of this strange group, and his dream had been rekindled. All that was left was to sail onwards to unclear and often times dark waters, hated by a world that did not understand, but surrounded by a crew that did.

So as Brook began to settle into his role as musician (Luffy was of the opinion that it was _about damn time_ he got one) he resolved to make it his duty to inspire his new family even more than they already inspired themselves. Using music that originated from the depths of his soul (no skull joke there, his soul was one of the few things he had left) he would keep the spirits of the Straw Hats high. As they brought him out of the fog of Thriller Bark and into the sun, he would never let his crew fall into the depths of despair.

Inspiration is a funny thing. Sometimes it was a nudge in the right direction or a soft word of encouragement during a time of need. Other times it took the form of a song ancient and powerful. But this time, this time it took the form of nine pirates with crazy and impossible dreams that they each believed without a doubt that would come true.

Brook quietly added another line to his nameless song as he sipped his tea and tapped his bony fingers. This was his family, crazy and silly as they were, and as the old skeleton pondered what would be most appropriate to play after dinner, he only hoped that he could inspire them just as much as they had inspired him.


	2. Empathy

Franky was in the engine room of his ship, tinkering with-no, _upgrading_ his cola converter so that it would be more efficient. It had only taken a couple of days of being a Straw Hat to learn that Nami-sis was _very_ stingy with the ships money. Whatever, it didn't matter to him. All he had to do was make his baby even more super than before, a challenge that was worth undertaking.

And besides, from a certain point of view Nami-sis was right. They did have to spend a butt load of money feeding Luffy. Anything he could do to contribute would help out. As Franky had come to see over his short time as a Straw Hat, Nami was often somewhat reasonable with her monetary demands. She was greedy as hell and would do anything to make a quick buck, but always had the interests of the Straw Hats at heart. Okay, really deep at heart, but it was there none the less. Plus her punches hurt, a lot. Which was amazing because he was mostly metal.

As he worked he talked. It was almost a ritual to him, sharing his day with _Sunny_. While Franky had no intention of meeting the ship's Klabautermann, the very thought of his ship being in mortal peril made his blood boil, that didn't mean he couldn't feel the ship's spirit. And right now he was talking about his new family.

"Yeah, I bet Long Nose-bro's gonna freak out when I show him _Mini Merry_. You missed it; he put his whole heart into that little ship. I can just tell he's going to help keep you in super shape. 'Course, he's gotta be taught how too actually fix a ship…but he'll learn quick, I'm sure," Franky sat back and eyed his handy work with a critical eye. The big shipwright grinned and slapped his mechanical hand against the engine. Some pretty sturdy work right there, if he could say so himself.

Franky found a seat and opened a bottle of cola. He didn't often spend a whole lot of time thinking about the nature of his new crew, but there was something about tonight that made him stop and do just that. As he got to spend more and more time with the crazy Straw Hat Pirates the more he got the feel of the group dynamic. There was something that he could just _feel _in each and every one of his crewmates that set them apart from everyone else in the world. And in Franky's opinion, that was pretty super.

Usopp was easy to pick apart. The kid had a nervous energy that could be felt a mile away. But when push came to shove regarding something he truly cared about, Long Nose had the ability to get down and dirty with the best of them. He also could spin a pretty good tear jerker, not that Franky ever cried (although his allergies had a horrible tendency to act up during his stories). Usopp was a kid trying to learn how to be a man. Franky could sympathize, but the way he figured it he was well on his way after the whole Enies Lobby mess. He kinda reminded Franky of the younger members of the Franky Family, the kind of kid that could do really well with a mentor.

The reindeer-gorilla, Chopper was similar in his own way. He was the biggest kid of the group, apparently he was only fifteen or so in human years, but was a super doctor. The way he swung between naive awe and clinical efficiency was always good for a chuckle. Plus he let Franky give him dancing lessons. But Franky had seen the little dude in action, both during the fighting and the treatment of the injured after. Once he got past his initial freak out he had done everything in his power to keep everyone alive. And he had done a damn fine job of it. Franky knew that he had a deep compassion for every living being, and thinking about it too long made Franky tear up for some strange reason.

Franky swigged the rest of his cola and began Luffy-proofing his upgraded engine. Never had the cyborg known a more destructive and forceful personality, and considering how he spent his childhood that was quite the feat. But regardless of all the stupid stunts his captain did that just made him shake his his head and wonder 'how the hell did that just happen?' Franky couldn't forget the look that he gave to anyone who hurt his friends. The more the new shipwright followed Straw Hat the more he thought Tom would have approved. With a super _don_ for emphasis.

Again Franky looked at his work, trying to think about any conceivable way anyone in the crew could possibly hurt his baby, all the while chatting with his ship about anything and nothing. While he knew his work would stand up to any normal catastrophe, and a whole bunch of abnormal ones too, Franky was resigned to the fact that one of his crewmates would probably mess it up somehow. He reluctantly put his tools away for the night, going through his mental checklist and giving everything one very last, final, exhaustive checkup. Then he went to his personal fridge that Luffy didn't know existed and pulled out the snack Sanji had prepared earlier. This time it was those little sissy sandwiches that looked about as filling as air, but somehow Curly Cook made satisfying. The man was like magic when it came to food.

At first Franky hadn't known what to make of the cook. To start, the man had an obsession with snazzy suits that made Franky cringe. Where was his sense of freedom? And the way Sanji obsessed over the girls gave him the heebie-jeebies. But when Franky had actually gotten him talking about potential changes to the kitchen the perv transformed. Gone was the short tempered man who insisted on arguing about everything with Zoro and in his place was a cook with a dream. And when Sanji had told Franky about All Blue he had gotten the same look that kids got when thinking about Christmas. Franky was looking forward to going there with _Sunny_. That was, if Curly didn't kill him for not eating his veggies first.

After going over everything, Franky made his way to the kitchen, because apparently not properly disposing of cola bottles and leaving plates out was a crime punishable by a quick kick to the face. On his way he saw Zoro, who was looking especially surly for some reason.

"Hey Bro! How's the weight room treating ya?" Zoro's face might have brightened for a nanosecond before returning to its more normal semi-frown.

"It's great, and just so you know, Luffy has is starting a captain mandated game of go fish right now."

"Oh, you guys are waiting for me? Let me put this stuff away and I'll play the most super game of go fish you've ever seen!" Franky would have struck a pose, but there wasn't quite enough room in the hallway.

"Actually I was looking for the witch and Robin. Love Cook says they're in the library, but I think they might be hiding 'cause I can't find them anywhere."

"Dude, you realize we're not even close to the library right? Do you need me to show you around the ship again, because I'd be happ-" Zoro cut off Franky with a wave of the hand and a grunt. He must be especially upset because his training time was interrupted or something.

"You know, on second thought, I'll get the girls. Why don't you go back on deck and tell the others to get set up. We'll be there in a couple minutes, okay?" Zoro grunted again before going back on deck. Franky watched and made sure he was headed the right way before taking a detour to the library.

Chuckling to himself, Franky just had to shake his head at how serious Zoro was all the time. Everything the swordsman did was with the same amount of dedicated focus. It's what made him such a good fighter, and it almost seemed strange that he put up with such a care free captain. But Zoro did put up with Luffy's antics, and put that amazing dedication of his towards protecting the crew. He was almost like an older brother, considering it his job to keep everybody safe. And it didn't escape Franky's attention that during his first storm as a Straw Hat Chopper had attached himself to Zoro's head. And Zoro had let him, with a certain amount of manly stoicism that you didn't see very often. Franky knew that when it came to the Straw Hats Zoro was all bark and no (or at least very little) bite.

Franky entered the library (the amazing, super library that he had built, thank you very much!), and the two girls were indeed there. Robin seemed to be reorganizing the shelves with her Devil Fruit (a power that Franky could never, ever look at the same way again), and Nami had several books open and was taking notes of some kind. They both looked up briefly and murmured some sort of greeting before returning to their tasks.

"Sword-bro said it's go fish night, everyone's playing," Franky announced. With a long suffering sigh, Nami closed her books and got up.

"Figures, I wondered what all the noise was about," Nami said as she left the room, followed by some mutterings about placing bets and increased debt. Franky couldn't help but gulp; the girl had pretty much cleared him out the one time he had played poker with her, and if Zoro was anything to go by he did not want to get into debt at all. Franky entered into the library where Robin was continuing to put books in their proper places.

"Got quite a few books there Nico," Franky said, in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice. He snuck a quick peek at the notes Nami had been working on, which were what appeared to be complicated navigational charts. Franky considered himself a man of the ocean, and even he couldn't make head or tail of them. Damn that girl was talented.

"Not really," Robin replied. _Sunny's_ library was defiantly bigger than _Merry's._ There were several shelves with nothing on them, but Franky figured that wouldn't last long.

After a few more seconds, all the extra hands disappeared in a poof of petals. Why her power did that, Franky had no idea, but it kinda looked cool. Robin paused and picked one book off of the shelves before turning and facing him.

"Shall we?" She asked with a small smile. Out of all the Straw Hats, she was one of the more difficult ones for Franky to read. He supposed she acted all mysterious and crap on purpose, and she was so quiet that sometimes he forgot she was in the same room. But if he had learned anything about Enies Lobby it was that still waters often run deep. Just because she didn't act like a typical Straw Hat didn't mean that she didn't belong. It just proved Luffy was better at looking past the surface of things to see what was underneath.

"I'm ready whenever you are. Hey, what do ya got there? You're not going to read and play cards at the same time are you?" Not to say she couldn't do just that. In fact, she could cheat as much as she wanted with no one the wiser. Damn Devil Fruit, how un-super.

"It's a legend about a tin man on a quest to find a heart. It's really quite engaging."

"Are you trying to imply something, Nico Robin? Because, I tell you, I'm the most super cyborg there is on the Grand Line!" Franky exclaimed, glad that there was room in the library for him to strike his signature pose.

"Oh not at all," she said hastily, "In fact, you're probably the most empathetic person I know."

"I'm what?"

"Empathetic. You feel other people's emotions with them. It's an admiral trait, really," and with that, she left the library, book in hand.

Franky paused before following her. Empathetic, huh? He kinda liked the sound of that, not that he'd ever really cry with anybody or anything. The best shipwrights out there knew the personality of the vessels that they were working on. It was a super thing, to be able to share the good and bad with his family.

And the Straw Hats were defiantly family. A super, awesome, crazy family that liked breaking the rules and declaring war just for the sake of one another. It was a different sort of group, not at all like the family he had left at Water Seven, but family none the less.

"Franky, come on! Everyone is playing go fish tonight, captain's orders!" Luffy bellowed from the deck, with shouts of agreement behind him. Franky grinned, did a little dance, and ran to meet them. But before he left the library he couldn't help but shout,

"SUPER!"

AN: This was really super hard for me to write, Franky's just such an energetic dude you wouldn't think that it's in his character to sit and think about things. This went through a couple of rewrites before the image of Franky talking to his ship like Usopp used to do with Merry crossed my mind. Still not 100% happy, but eh. And in other news my Internet was broken, but it's fixed now. Obviously.

Thanks to everyone who responded to chapter one, you all made my first experience in the world of fanfiction a positive one. Now let's see if I can keep it up…


	3. Acceptance

The Straw Hat Pirates had just gotten out of a particularly vicious storm in a particularly vicious part of the Grand Line. The lethargic crew was for the most part lounging on deck attempting to get their wits about them. That was, with the exception of Luffy.

"That was so COOL! Did you see the sea king that got thrown out of the water? Hey Usopp, do you think you can catch anything like that for supper? Because right now I'm really hungry. Sanji, make food, I'm really hungry!"

The captain of the infamous pirates was promptly kicked half way across the deck into Zoro who had just settled down for his after death-defying storm nap. The argument between Sanji and Zoro that followed sparked a chain reaction that led to a giant free for all brawl on deck, with Usopp trying his best to hide and repair the _Going Merry_ at the same time.

That was, until Nami stepped in.

"Every one STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" She bellowed, "Zoro, put your swords away before I increase your debt by 100,000 berris! Chopper, I know Zoro reopened his wounds, but putting him a head lock is not the way to treat him! Sanji, stop fighting and make Luffy a snack before he starts eating the table again! Luffy, you are not to eat the table at any time! And for goodness sakes Usopp stop quivering over there and fix this ship before we all sink!"

The end result was entirely predictable. Sanji went to the kitchen in a flutter of praise for his 'precious Nami', Usopp ran to get more supplies, Zoro cursed but put his swords away, Chopper looked mildly ashamed before returning on his quest to treat Zoro, and Luffy jumped for joy because he was getting food. All parties considered themselves lucky that Nami was too far away to actually hit them this time.

And Robin laughed.

It was more of a chuckle, really. As Robin watched the crew she really couldn't help it. They were so different from the previous pirates and organizations that she had been a part of in the past; it was a breath of fresh air. Confident that they were out of immediate danger, Robin went to the women's quarters to change into something dry before going back to reading the anthology she had gotten in Alabasta, but had yet to finish.

Nami came in just as Robin had changed, muttering about 'stupid men' and 'irresponsible dunderheads'. The poor navigator looked exhausted. While everything seemed to have died down for now, they had spent the better part of three days alternating between deceitfully pleasant weather, storms, and one particularly memorable blizzard. It was no wonder why she was especially intolerant of the boy's behavior.

"I don't know how you do it Robin," she complained.

"Do what Miss Navigator?"

"You know what I'm talking about, the boys! No matter how stupid they get you _never_ get mad at them. Luffy decide that he wants to go swimming? You calmly remind him that he can't. Usopp telling an outrageous lie? You compliment him on his bravery. On and on, every single day! I just don't get it," Nami clarified, looking in her extensive closet for something dry.

Robin smiled again. While the Straw Hat's all had their certain…quirks, both individually and as a whole, they were all essentially kind hearted people following an impossible dream. They were even willing, for now at least, willing to accept her even though she was a former enemy.

"Let me ask you a question in return Miss Navigator. Would you rather they be any different?" Robin replied.

Nami turned, opening her mouth for a quick response, before quickly shutting it again. She stared at Robin for a few seconds before turning in a huff of exasperation. With extremely agitated movements she began to change.

"Not really, I guess. But they don't have to act so dumb all of the time, it's annoying!"

"You're just saying that because you're tired. By the way, do you think we'll have any more storms today? There's some reading I'd like to do before we reach the next island," normally Robin wouldn't trust predictions regarding the Grand Line's weather systems, but Nami seemed to have an uncanny ability detecting changes in the atmospheric pressure.

"I don't think so, but I guess you never know for sure. It would be really nice if everything stabilized for a while," Nami said.

"Well, I'm sure that you will do everything in your power to keep us all from drowning," Robin said mildly, making the navigator shiver.

"That's not funny, not one bit! You and your morbid sense of humor. You know what, I think that you're just as bad as the others, you just hide it better," Nami said as she began to leave the room.

As Nami passed, Robin put her hand on her shoulder. This act of comfort came out instinctively, and managed to catch both of them off guard.

"Don't expect the others to be anything different than what they are," Robin said slowly after an awkward pause, "just like they don't expect you to be anything other than yourself."

Nami looked at Robin in a very strange way, making her feel very uncomfortable. The archeologist let her arm drop lamely. She didn't really know where that had come from, it had just popped out. Robin's mind started going into overdrive, attempting to think off a way to make the uncomfortable feeling go away and never come back. Unfortunately her so-called genius mind seemed to have short circuited itself and no answer was forthcoming.

Unexpectedly, Nami broke into a grin and threw her arms around Robin. The unexpected contact made her stiffen, but Nami didn't seem to mind. Slowly Robin forced herself to relax and tentatively return the hug.

"Thanks Robin, I really needed that," Nami said as she let go, "Oh, and don't forget you have watch tomorrow, so don't pull an all nighter reading, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it Miss Navigator," Robin said, her face back into its impassive default stage she had crafted over the years. Robin could have sworn she saw a flicker of disappointment on Nami's face after being referred to by her title, but she couldn't be sure.

"Good, back to business then. I've gotta make sure Luffy didn't decide to do anything completely reckless again, or that Sanji and Zoro aren't breaking anything important, or that…Never mind, I've got to go make sure we're not in any immediate danger. Again." And with that the Straw Hat's navigator left the room, leaving a perplexed Robin.

Xxx

Regardless of what Nami said, Robin did not sleep that night. Not because she was reading, she had finished her anthology before supper, but because of the epiphany she had earlier.

The remainder of the day had been routine, if more subdued than normal. After days fighting through storms everyone was tired, not just Nami. But her predictions had been right and there was not a cloud in the sky, so after several hours of after-storm ship repair and inventory the crew returned to its normal activities.

Robin had watched them. It was a habit born out of necessity, but by using her powers discreetly she was able to know more about the Straw Hats than any of them could imagine. Though she hadn't spied on them the entire day, it _was_ a very good book; Robin was forced to come to one conclusion.

She cared for the Straw Hats. Deeply.

She had watched Sanji hum to himself as he put his all into making fine cuisine that most of the crew wouldn't appreciate, Zoro throw himself into a horrendously difficult training regimen that made Chopper cringe as he tried to get the swordsman to rest, and Usopp tell Luffy a wildly implausible tale of how he had defeated not one-but two dragons in a far off land. Even Nami seemed to be in a good mood, as she yelled less often then she would on a normal day as she dozed in her lawn chair.

Robin was scared by this realization. She wasn't supposed to care about _anyone_. This situation was temporary, it always was. Sooner or later the Straw Hats would figure her out, discover the darkness that had destroyed everything she had ever cared about.

Unbidden, the voice of the giant with the strange laugh resounded in her head. _Once someone is born in dis world, they're not alone._

Lies. Robin had been alone for twenty years. The best she could hope for was a quick and painless death when her luck ran out.

_Live wit' them._

They would eventually betray her.

_The sea is vast; surely someday yer friends will appear to protect you._

Impossible. She wasn't worth protecting.

But the Straw Hats were. Every single one of them deserved to achieve their dreams. They were good people.

The world needed more good people.

Xxx

The next day the Straw Hats reached the Long Ring Island, defeated the Foxy Pirates at the Davy Fight Back, and were utterly dominated by Aokiji. The crew was lucky to be alive, and everyone was on edge. That was, with the possible exception of Luffy.

Again that night Robin didn't sleep. The fear was back, only stronger. It was a very different sort of fear than what she was used to feeling. The fact that the crew had gotten hurt because of her ate at Robin worse than any acid. Her curse had reared its ugly head again, but Robin knew she should have seen it coming. She had gotten sucked into becoming emotionally invested in the Straw Hat Pirates, and now it was hurting her. It would seem that Nami was wrong after all, the storm was just beginning.

Because the Straw Hats were more than your typical pirate crew; they considered one another family, and they had accepted Robin into that family. And now that Aokiji had confirmed her whereabouts, the World Government was certain to show more and more force against them until they were destroyed or betrayed her out of hatred and bitterness.

Robin didn't think she could live with either option. Because while the Straw Hat Pirates were unorthodox, strange, and often times silly, they were also family. A family that had rekindled a dream that she had thought dead, a family that accepted her when every one else in the world wanted her dead.

So with that Robin decided to do everything in her power to keep them safe, even if it meant turning herself in for their sake. Now that she had found what Saul had talked about, living without them seemed to be such a miserable proposition that would probably kill her anyway.

Xxx

They had followed her.

For reasons beyond logic and sense, and despite the fact Robin so desperatly wanted them to go away and let her die, the Straw Hat Pirates stormed Enies Lobby, thumbing their noses at the entire world in the process.

And when Luffy ordered the unthinkable and the flag representing the largest organization on the planet went up in flames, everyone was shocked at the audacity of the act. Who was this Straw Hat Luffy and his band of misfits, and why would they do this for one demon woman who should have died twenty years ago? As Luffy bellowed his challenge to CP9, and by extension, the world, Robin finally figured it out.

She was family.

AN: I really liked the first part of it, not so sure about the second half. I'm also surprised my spell check accepted 'dunderhead' as a word. On an unrelated note, depressing Robin flashback is depressing, especially considering she's one of my favorites.

Also, as I understand it, fanfiction eats scene breaks like none other. Since I am supreamly ignorant, I have no idea how to get the fancy pants lines I've seen in some other stories recently. We'll see what happens, or if I'll need to go back and fix it later

Thanks again for reading and the feedback so far; you all have been much to kind.


	4. Faith

Chopper sat in his little infirmary aboard the _Going Merry_ grinding various ingredients into a paste that would act as the base of the new salve he was making. Occasionally glancing at the book on ancient remedies that Robin had given him, the doctor mentally reviewed his schedule for the rest of the day. There were a couple more medicines he wanted to get started on, plus a new batch of rumble balls that needed to be made. Including in a break to play tag with Luffy and Usopp, he had a full day.

Being the Straw Hat's doctor was much more difficult than Chopper had anticipated. While the crew were all very good fighters they were horrible, horrible patients. Plus, they had such hardy constitutions it was impossible for him to knock them out to treat them. So the little reindeer did what he could: making medicine, reapplying bandages, and learning more about all the diseases and sickness that could hurt his new family.

Chopper propped his book up to a more comfortable reading height and grinned. There were still some days where he could hardly believe he was a real pirate. All the tales that Doctor Hiliruk told flowed into mind, along with all of the really cool stories Usopp always told about adventure and fun and treasure and monsters and best of all _pirates._ They had just left Alabasta a couple of days ago, and even though they had to leave a friend behind and it had been really hot he had helped save a country. Plus he got to learn a bunch of stuff from the kingdom's doctors, even though they weren't as good as Doctorine (not that there was _anyone_ as good as Doctorine, but still).

Yes, there were some days that he couldn't believe he was living his dream. It was just so unlikely, one minute he had been in a castle with Doctorine, and the next thing he knew Luffy was shouting at him to join his crew. Wapol had been blown away and Doctor's cherry blossoms had healed the island. Now he was on a pirate ship swaying gently on the ocean.

Chopper put his paste aside for the moment, and took out his medical records. The records were nothing to brag about, as the little doctor hadn't really been on the ship for very long and getting any of the Straw Hats to actually sit down long enough to take a physical was next to impossible. But they were what he had, and that was that. Chopper pulled out Zoro's file to review how the swordsmen's wounds had been healing. He was still amazed that Zoro could stand after his brutal fight with Mr. 1, but he had. Zoro was really amazing, his recovery nothing short of miraculous considering he was still suffering from the big wound across his chest.

And deep in Chopper's heart he knew that Zoro would never slow down and let himself heal before going back to his ridiculous training. In a strange way it was like Dr. Hiliruk, who kept on searching for a cure even though he was really sick. No matter how many times his experiments had blown up in his face, the old doctor had persevered. And Zoro didn't care how many times he was cut, slashed, or impaled so long as he was the best.

It kind of scared Chopper how much disregard some of the crew had for their lives. There was a small part of him that wondered what would happen if someone got really hurt or sick and he didn't know how to treat them.

As if they were eavesdropping on Chopper's thoughts, Luffy and Zoro busted into the infirmary. With a squeak Chopper jumped and hid behind his table.

"Oi, Chopper, you're doing it backwards again," Zoro said with a yawn.

"You scared me you idiots!" Chopper replied, his voice a whole octave higher than normal.

"Oh, sorry! Hey Chopper, do you think I can take these bandages off yet? It's really hard to punch stuff like this, and there was this really big sea king that got away earlier," Luffy said.

"Yeah, it's impossible to move properly with all this stuff on," Zoro added.

Chopper supposed he should be grateful that they were at least asking this time before taking the bandages off. With a small sigh of resignation, getting these people to sit down was like trying to stop a train, he checked over his over enthusiastic patients.

Luffy had healed remarkably well; there wasn't even a scar where he had been impaled by Crocodile. Nor were there any obvious effects of when he had all the water sucked out of him or when he had nearly been crushed underneath the weight of the tombs. Chopper wasn't quite sure if Luffy's rubber body healed compared to a normal human, but the way he bounced back from really bad injuries was impressive. So he gave Luffy the all clear, and his captain began tearing off the bandages with great vigor.

Zoro on the other hand, was human (at least Chopper thought so, Usopp had once said he was part robot) and his wounds really should have kept him down for a little more time.

"Zoro _please_ keep these on, for another day at least? You're just going to make yourself worse," the little doctor pleaded. Zoro just gave him a flat look before unwrapping the bandages.

"I can't train with these," he said by way of explanation.

"But you'll just make yourself worse! The muscles need to knit back together, and abdomen wounds are tricky, Zoro _please_?"

"Hey, don't worry about it Chopper, if he gets hurt you can just fix him again. 'Cause you're going to be the best doctor in the world, and Zoro's gotta train if he's going to be the best swordsman," Luffy said absent mindedly before chasing after Usopp with a whoop of joy, reveling in his newfound freedom from the evil bandages. Zoro grunted in agreement as he finished unwrapping the bandages from his chest wounds.

"Will you at least come tell me if something happens?" Chopper said in a small voice. Zoro paused, giving him a look that he didn't quite understand before reaching down and scruffing his head.

"Sure thing, you're the doctor," he said. After testing his range of motion, Zoro left too, leaving behind one concerned little reindeer.

Chopper took a deep breath and returned to his salve. Luffy was right, he always was. Zoro was really strong. And so was Sanji and Robin and Luffy, and Usopp did cool stuff all the time, and even Nami got scary sometimes when she hit someone.

He had faith in all of their abilities, because Luffy was going to be the Pirate King and he had to have the best crew in the whole world. That meant that Chopper had to be the very best doctor, because they would be getting in more fights like the ones in Alabasta.

Because they had faith in his ability as a doctor, and he knew that they were all the best. Nami never got them lost, Sanji made the best food, Usopp always hit what he shot at, Robin knew everything, and Luffy and Zoro never, ever lost a fight. And it was Chopper's job to keep everyone healthy. Together they made a family, a weird, stupid, strong, and sometimes scary family.

So Chopper sat and continued onwards towards his dream of curing every disease, wondering if there was an antidote against hopeless stupidity and if he could manage to give it to Zoro without him knowing.

AN: Thanks for reading, leave a review if you would be so kind. Chopper's a toughie for me to write because you have to balance his awesome doctor skills with his childlike demeanor. I for one prefer Drum Island cool Chopper over cutesy stupid Chopper. Plus, I think his design looks unnerving now. I liked it better when it was not quite so super deformed, but I guess that's my opinion. Once again, thank you all so much for being so nice so far, you all have been too kind.


	5. Respect

The Grand Line was everything he expected and more. The sea, like the ancient goddesses of old, was powerful and beautiful, letting its will be felt to all who tried to tame her. The skies were wider, allowing any sailor to wonder of what might be found over the horizon. Anything that a foolish romantic could dream of was possible.

And best of all, the fish was delicious.

Sanji sat out on the deck of the _Going Merry_ as he attempted to plan his menu for the next couple of days (or however long it took for his idiot of a captain to do something really, really dumb). As the cook flicked some ash off of the end of his cigarette he pondered how the new sea king recipe he was marinating would go over tonight. Luffy, being the ultimate carnivore that he was, would probably love it, as would the shit head of a swordsman. Usopp, Sanji had discovered, had a surprisingly good palate considering the little backwater village he had grown up in. However, it was Nami's opinion he was truly worried about. They hadn't been traveling together for very long, and Sanji had done his best to impress her, with no apparent success.

The cook got up with a small sigh. So far being responsible for the nutritional needs of the crew had been surprisingly difficult. On the Baratie he was used to cooking for dozens upon dozens of people on a daily basis. Sanji had thought he was completely ready for the next step in his culinary development. It had only taken a week or two for his respect to the shitty geezer to go up. Budgeting was part of the problem, they had severely limited funds and Nami (rightfully) was very frugal with what they had. And Luffy was a complete pig with no self control when it came to food.

This, along with the fact that he was forced to split his time between cooking and helping sail their little boat, meant the Sanji was putting a whole lot of hours into a job that the rest of the crew didn't really understand enough to appreciate. Especially that lazy ass swordsman Zoro, who when he wasn't leaving his ridiculously oversized weights in everyone else's way, was napping. At least Luffy was grateful enough to complement what Sanji made.

Sanji made his way back to his small, but well stocked, kitchen. There he saw the ultimate of blasphemies. Zoro, the uncultured piece of shit with the manners and sophistication of a barbarian, was examining his knives.

Zoro was touching _his knives_.

Sanji almost exploded with rage.

"What. The. _Hell._" He hissed.

Zoro looked up, apparently surprised at the hostility, "Oh, sorry. I just saw you working with these yesterday and I thought that they looked like North Blue steel, and I wanted to make sure."

"Oh, so does that mean that I can take a look at your swords any time I want?" Sanji snarled.

Zoro quickly, but gently, put the knives down. The two men stood, clearly at some sort of impasse. It was Zoro that broke it as he backed away from Sanji's cooking station.

"Sorry. I didn't know they were that important."

The apology seemed genuine, and the shithead didn't break eye contact. Sanji grunted in reply as he brushed by him, examining his precious knives.

"Of course they are. These are important tools for the job that I do. You have your swords, Usopp his slingshot, Nami her maps, and Luffy has his…uh…hat. You've gotta treat them a certain way, respect them, care for them. That's the only way I can make quality food too keep the rest of you guys from starving to death."

Sanji put his knives away, ready for Zoro to laugh at him. It never came. In fact, the swordsmen looked at him with something that was dangerously close to approval.

"That why you never fight with your hands? 'Cause they're tools?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sanji said as he lit up a new cigarette.

Zoro nodded and left the kitchen, probably to take a nap or something. Sanji sat at the table, mildly perplexed at the exchange he just had. For some reason he felt like he had just passed a test or something. The shitty moss head was an annoying creature that followed no logic. But somehow Sanji knew that Zoro would never, ever get near his things without permission ever again.

Sanji finished his cigarette and left the kitchen. He really should be starting dinner right now, but wasn't in the right mindset. Right now if he tried to make anything it would turn out terrible.

So he stepped out, and leaned against the rail, watching the crew. It was a quiet day, something Sanji realized was a blessed rarity. Luffy was on the ram head, gazing into the water thinking whatever idiot captains thought. Usopp was tinkering, always a potentionally dangerous activity, and telling the wonderful Nami some shitty lie. She was sunbathing, gorgeous as always. Zoro was doing sword drills. He only had one sword out (Sanji still thought having three was rather dumb) and was doing his procession slowly, meticulously making every move precise and perfect.

It was amazing to think that the five of them were on the Grand Line. He had heard of plenty of pirate crews coming to this deadly sea, only never to return. Hell, Don Krieg and his whole armada hadn't been able to survive seven days on these infamous waters. The place was called a graveyard for a reason.

And there was no place Sanji would rather be.

Even though the crew was new to the whole pirate gig, they had one thing that the other pieces of shit that traveled this ocean didn't: Respect. Respect for the ocean, respect for their captain, and (as much as he hated to admit it in Zoro's case) respect for each other.

In that way, the Straw Hat Pirates reminded him of all the cooks on the Baratie. Through all the fights, both physical and verbal, that had taken place over the years Sanji and the others had forged and maintained a bond. They had been more than coworkers, they had been family.

Sanji recognized that while the Straw Hats had started making such a bond, it was still a work in progress. As they traveled the hardships and struggles that were a large part of the Grand Line would help build that respect that would drive them together.

After all, they each had a part to play. Sanji couldn't snipe, navigate, stretch, or cut people with a sword. He couldn't keep people in line like Nami, bring people together like Luffy, or have Usopp's genius with chemicals. And thank God he didn't have Zoro's stoic blandness.

Sanji was learning that the Grand Line is a beautiful and terrible place. One had to respect it or be torn apart. This crew, with their bonds of respect that they were building toward one another, were becoming something greater than they could ever be individually, something that made it possible for them to all achieve their dreams. Crazy dreams that only a foolish romantic could dream.

They were becoming a family.


	6. Trust

The only thing that Usopp had ever wanted to be was a pirate. He wanted to be like his father, a brave warrior that sailed the high seas and never backed down from anyone. A _man;_ with honor, and integrity, and strength, and the drive to sail around the world without a care or worry.

Luffy had given him the opportunity to do just that.

And it was terrifying.

It wasn't that he didn't like being a pirate; in fact it was just the opposite. He loved being a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. The people Usopp traveled with now had become the family he thought he had lost. Usopp knew that if his dad could see him now, that he'd be proud.

That didn't change the fact that since Usopp had joined Luffy on his quest to become the Pirate King he had been hit in the face (more than once) with a four ton bat, nearly fallen out of the clouds, struck by lightning, been impaled (more than once) by a huge man-wolf out to kill him, and been attacked by zombies. And that wasn't even counting all of the horribly dangerous and irresponsible things that Luffy did _for fun_ or all the weird things that were considered normal on the Grand Line.

But it seemed that the further the crew traveled the less things like that bothered Usopp. Heck, it was getting to the point where going to new places that wanted to kill, maim, or otherwise make his life miserable was exciting; if only because later they'd be kick ass stories. Better yet, they'd be kick ass true stories that he could tell Kaya when he got home.

Plus Usopp knew that his crew would always have his back, just like he would always have theirs (within reason, of course). If there was one thing that he had learned about becoming a true man, it was the importance of trust. Trust in himself, along with trust in his crew.

Because the Straw Hats were more than your everyday run of the mill pirates. They were a family, and a strong one at that. Luffy was more than his captain, more than the future Pirate King. He was the brother that Usopp never had. The same was true for Chopper, Zoro, and the rest (except Nami and Robin, they were sisters).

So yes, being a pirate on the Grand Line was scary; and yes, the government was terrifying; and Usopp had to admit that his captain was more than a little insane. But in the end it didn't matter. He was Usopp, King of Snipers, liar extraordinaire, brave warrior-in-training, traveler of the high seas. And while he didn't have over eight thousand followers (yet, he was working on it), his family more than made up for it.

AN: Usopp the Liar has the trait of trust? Ironic, perhaps. But very fitting, considering the speech he gave Robin on the sea train.


	7. Responsibility

It was amazing how quickly things could change. The transition from pirate hating thief to, well, pirate had taken less than a week. Now Nami was fulfilling her dream with what amounted to a rag tag bunch of misfits one would read about in stories.

What was it Bellemere had said? As long as you keep living, good times will come. Cocoyashi was more than due for some good times. _Nami_ was more than due for some good times.

But not right this minute. Now she was scheming, thinking up plans to-ahem-expand their funds, pouring over the charts Luffy didn't completely destroy, looking up everything her book collection had to offer about the Grand Line, and attempt to keep the crew in order. Simply put, it was exhausting work trying to prepare for the biggest journey of their lives.

And the boys, bless their annoying souls, honestly were all idiots. Sanji didn't understand the fact that she wasn't interested (but oh how easy it made manipulating him into following her every word); Usopp was a coward and a liar, prone to leaving his ammo making crap in places where Luffy could find it; Zoro didn't realize that there was a difference between north and up; and Luffy had an IQ lower than a goat along with the curiosity of a hyperactive child.

Nami could only hope beyond hope that Luffy would recruit someone with some common sense soon. Preferably a woman, before she died of testosterone poisoning. Until then she would endure.

But they were worth all the work. There was something very refreshing about a captain as free spirited as Luffy. His leadership style was…unique to say the least, but Nami had to admit that for the most part it got the job done. The way Luffy inspired the absolute best out of his little crew was undeniably impressive, and he was the strongest person she had ever met.

That didn't change the fact that he had no idea what the word 'budget' meant, or understand the concept of 'restraint'. No, those things were _her_ responsibility, and it was a responsibility that Nami took very seriously.

"What're ya doing?" Luffy asked, peering over her shoulder.

Nami flinched. She hadn't heard him come up behind her. Damn he could be sneaky when he wanted to.

"Don't come up behind me like that!" she snapped back at him.

"Sorry," he replied, not sounding very sorry at all, "it's just that you've been looking at those books for _hours."_

"I'm just looking at the currents we'll be facing, nothing you have to worry about." Nami replied, rubbing her eyes. Had it really been that long? A quick look at the clock showed that it was nearly supper.

"Oh. Well, after supper everyone's playing a game, because today has been really boring. Do you wanna play? Oh, and we're having that big octopus for dinner tonight. I bet it's going to be really, really good, because everything Sanji makes is good," he babbled, his train of thought easily derailed at the idea of food.

"I'm sorry, Luffy. There's some more stuff that I want to get done tonight. You want us to make it into the Grand Line safely, don't you?"

Luffy looked torn. Obviously his crew was important to him, and he wanted them all to be safe, but there was fun to be had _now_. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to have fun now?

Suddenly his eyes brightened, "You could do that stuff tomorrow! You said that it was supposed to be warm again, and we know where we're going, so why not play with us tonight?"

The idea was tempting. Nami had been working for hours, and her eyes were tired. Even if Luffy's idea of a game had more potential for injury than a normal person would consider fun, a break of some sort probably wouldn't hurt. But what if something came up tomorrow? Nami needed to know what was coming, and eight years of living under Arlong had taught her that putting her work off until later was a bad idea.

Luffy continued to stare at her, with that ridiculous grin on his face. What she needed was a little more time to sort herself out. Perhaps a compromise of sorts would pacify him.

"I don't know…let's eat first, I'll tell you afterwards. Sound good?" Nami asked.

If anything his grin got wider (how was that even possible? Stupid rubber body), "Shishishishi! Okay, let's eat!" And with that he rushed to the kitchen, demanding food as he went.

Nami could only sigh as she put her things into some semblance of order, and follow.

Dinner was an entirely normal affair. While Luffy pigged out on anything he could get his hands on, Sanji was kind enough to help guard her plate. No fewer than three arguments erupted between Sanji and Zoro, and Usopp alternated between hiding under the table and telling boastful stories.

It was a wonder she ever agreed to sail with them. Their childish and immature antics threatened to driver her over the edge. And Luffy (the captain!) not only let it happen, was often in the center of it all.

But that was life. Deep down, Nami knew that this is where she belonged. When she was on this crew she felt like she was ten years old again; part of a group that, while not related by blood, was family none the less. She wasn't just some tool to them.

Nami was responsible for these idiots's safety. She was their navigator, and they would be traveling to the most dangerous ocean in the world. And if anything were to happen because of some screw up…she didn't know if she'd be able to live with herself. They had saved _her_, and fought monsters on her behalf. They may be idiots, but they were her idiots, and if anyone messed with them there'd be Hell to pay.

As dinner wound down, Nami saw Luffy looking at her with those childlike eyes. He grinned again, despite his mouthful of food and asked, "So wo gon' pwa a gwam?"

"Don't talk to Nami with your mouth full, you manner-less shit!" Sanji yelled as he threw a violent kick towards Luffy, who nimbly dodged as he gulped down what was in his mouth.

"Is Nami going to play with us? Usopp and I ca-"Luffy was cut off as Sanji's kick connected as he howled in wordless rage.

"How DARE you infer that the lovely Miss Nami 'play' with anybody you sick bastard!" Sanji shouted. It was a miracle that the cigarette managed to stay in his mouth.

"What? It's only a game of tag!" Luffy yelped as he ducked behind Zoro. This was a good enough reason for Sanji to start attacking the swordsman as well, and the two soon began trading insults at one another.

"Enough!" Nami yelled, smacking everyone involved, "Look, Luffy, I've got a lot of work to do. There should be enough of you here to play your game."

Luffy sullenly rubbed the lump on his head, "You worry too much. And we can't play without a ref; otherwise we won't know who scores the most points, or who gets to be the King Fish, or who gets put in the lava pit."

"What kind of tag are you playing anyway?"

"It's great! Me and Usopp came up with it today; we'll tell you all the rules, and best of all it'll be fun! It's better than all the boring stuff you were doing anyway," Luffy said excitedly. Usopp looked like he wanted to run away, but gave her a shaky grin when she glared at him.

"Fine! I'll play, but every plays by the rules or I'll increase their debt 200%," Luffy gave a whoop of excitement, and rushed out to the deck. The others followed without complaint (with the exception of Zoro muttering 'sea witch' her way).

What followed was one of the strangest and nonsensical 'games' ever to be invented. Despite what Luffy and Usopp claimed, there were no rules. What began with loose definitions of rules quickly fell into chaos that Nami was somehow supposed to regulate.

"Shitty moss head! That was my point!"

"You wish, perv. Maybe if you stopped gaga-ing at Nami you would've seen that I got to base!"

"Umm, actually you're both out. The Great Captain wins again! But this is nothing compared to the survival game I won in the deep jungle as a child."

"Oh! Did you fall into a canyon? I've done that a couple times and it kinda hurts unless you get the landing right."

As Usopp began telling a highly embellished adventure tale that quickly captured Luffy's attention, they failed to notice the argument between the two more...spirited competitors. Nami left her designated "referee spot" to break up the fighting (again).

Zoro and Sanji were much to engrossed in their 'duel' to notice her approach. Nami took a deep breath and got ready to beat some sense into the both of them when an errant attack hit Luffy, launching him across the deck.

Luffy let out a small shout of surprise as he flew through the air. Using his Devil Fruit powers he grabbed the mast, and used his momentum to turn himself around. However, being the absolute _genius_ that he was, he then let go of the mast and shot back toward his crew.

The boys managed to scatter, but Nami was caught flat-footed as her captain hit her and launched her in the air and over the rail. All she could do was let out a scream as she flew off of the wonderful safety of the ship and grew ever closer to the deep, dark ocean.

Even though the fading light Nami saw a look of determination on Luffy's face. The rubber man managed to turn himself midflight, putting himself between his navigator and the water. Once again his hand shot out, catching the railing of the _Merry_. Nami had to wonder if this was how Usopp's ammunition felt as the pair shot back onto the ship.

The rest of the crew gathered around them after they fell onto the deck. Nami heard them all babbling, but was much to disoriented to understand what was actually being said. She and Luffy struggled for a few seconds to disentangle themselves before sitting on the deck, rattled but otherwise unharmed.

"Shishishi! That was fun!" Luffy exclaimed. Nami having not quite gotten her bearings yet, settled for glaring at her captain. Sanji began to chastise him instead, but stopped when the unhappy navigator turned her glare on him.

"This would not have happened," she began with a hiss, "if the two of you could go for two seconds without getting at each other's throats."

The ship was quiet as Sanji scuffed his shoes on the deck. Even Zoro looked a little uncomfortable, probably because he had lost a little of his control during the fight. Luffy looked at the both of them, his eyes strangely sharp.

Luffy continued to stare at the both of them for an uncomfortably long time. Sanji finally let out a muttered apology and Zoro dropped his gaze. Nami and Usopp glanced to one another in surprise. A type of understanding seemed to spread through the ship. _Fighting is okay. Hurting one another, even accidently, is not._

After letting his point across, Luffy nodded once and broke out into his trademarked grin. "Okay! The game's over, it's time for a snack!" The tension broke and everything returned to the Straw Hat version of normalcy.

It wasn't until later that night that Nami had an epiphany that should have happened a long time ago, when Luffy fought Arlong.

Luffy couldn't cook, navigate, shoot, lie, steal, or fight with swords. He was a simpleton, an imbecile, and a moron with no sense of self preservation. He was a selfish glutton with a childlike personality, completely dependent on those around him to survive.

He was also a captain of a crew aiming to be the Pirate King, gathering men and women that he considered worthy of traveling the Grand Line. His crew was like his family, and it was his job as the head of that family to protect it to the best of his ability.

And Luffy took that responsibility very, very seriously.

AN: So I would have had this up earlier had it not been for broken Internet and the wonderfully good time known as microbiology finals/lab practicum. Sorry about that.

The bit where Sanji yells at Luffy during dinner came accidently. I didn't notice the innuendo that "play a game" was until later, so I had to add that part in, lol.

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate the feedback that I've been getting, hope you all enjoyed.


	8. Sacrifice

_Burning, tearing, stretching, blood. Pain. Excruciating, horrible, terrible, unbearable. Pain. Painpainpain__**painpain. **_

Zoro thought he understood sacrifice. He spent hours every day pushing his body past what should be his physical limits. He had left behind his home, teacher, and everything he knew to pursue a dream. He had not allowed himself to be stopped by hunger, thirst, or physical injury. The reputation of a demon followed him, all because he had pushed everything aside to pursue a goal and keep a promise.

The Straw Hats had questioned that assumption. Before meeting Luffy, Zoro had never put any thought into the word 'sacrifice'. It's just something one did if they wanted to be the best. If Zoro knew anything at all it was that strength requires work, work requires effort, and effort requires determination.

But Zoro had never in his entire life given something up for someone else. He had completely meant the ultimatum to Luffy before joining his crew. Letting anything get in between his promise to Kuina was unforgivable. After all, he had already given up so much on his journey.

That's why it was interesting to him to see what the others had given up. He had never put his dreams on hold for someone else like Nami or Franky, or put off training to see to other people's needs like Sanji did on a daily basis. He never tried to take on or ease other another's pain like Usopp and Chopper, nor surrender without a fight to save his companions like Robin had. Hell, even the skeleton had given up the peace that came with death to reunite with a lost friend (if whales could be considered friends, which by Grand Line standards wasn't all that far-fetched).

And while Luffy might not have been too keen on keeping everyone safe (because, you know, _adventure_) he would protect their dreams with his life.

Sure he was completely loyal to the crew and would fight to his last breath to keep them safe, but even when he was protecting the others it served to make _him_ stronger and further _his _dreams. What was the worst that he had suffered as a part of the Straw Hats, an annoying cook? Interrupted naps? A reindeer that seemed to have a love affair with bandages? Oh the horror.

But when the Warlord had stepped foot on Thriller Bark, threatening his captain's life, things changed. Had it just been Zoro present, a fight to the death (probably his) would have ensued. As it was, his crew (family) were scattered about in varying states of unconsciousness. There was something distinctly unfair about having to face two Warlords of the Sea in the same day, a robotic and virtually indestructible one at that, but when was the pirate's life fair?

So he had made a deal. Luffy's pain for the lives of his comrades. It seemed like a simple enough, if somewhat confusing, out to a desperate situation. He was _Zoro_, the future greatest swordsman of the world. He got almost stabbed to death on a semi-regular basis. What was a little pain against that?

The first little chip in his resolve occurred when he saw what Luffy's pain actually looked like. How the Hell did all of that fit into such a little body? Still, Zoro refused to back down. This was something that needed to be done, and he needed to be the one to do it. Sanji's attempt to give himself up with him had been admirable, but just didn't sit well with Zoro.

Maybe it went back to that sacrifice thing, or maybe he was just looking too much into it.

And then that bastard of a Warlord had casually flicked a small (tiny, really) portion of the burden he would carry. The effect was immediate. Luffy was a rubber man, Zoro most certainly was not. Muscles, organs, joints, and bones were not made to bend that way without the power of a Devil Fruit.

Zoro made a final request, to move somewhere else. It would be pretty bad if any of the others woke up and saw what he was doing. He knew no one else in the crew, save Luffy of course, would be able to handle what he was about to do.

In the secluded location on the giant ghost ship Zoro took a final deep breath, and focused on his inner strength, the place that held his determination and willingness to go forward. Then he shoved his hands into the paw shaped bubble.

_Pain. Gnawing, breaking, deep, visceral, pain. Stabbing, shearing, indescribable, pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain__**painpainapianpainpainPAIN!**_

He took it all without complaint. This was his burden, his sacrifice to make, because for the first time in…a very long time he had a family. Everyone had a role, and this was his. He was going to be the greatest swordsman in the world, a fitting title for a crewmate of the Pirate King.

Even as he was beginning to be overwhelmed and on the edge of consciousness, Zoro knew that this alone wouldn't kill him. Luffy had borne it easily, taking it as a part of being captain. Zoro had sworn to follow Luffy and protect his crew, and that wouldn't be possible if he was dead.

Because now he understood true sacrifice, the willingness to give up everything for another, and that understanding made him stronger.

And Zoro, the man who would surpass Mihawk, would sacrifice everything for his family.


	9. Strength

Luffy knew he was a bad captain. He was too weak. Good captains were strong, because they had to protect their crew. A good captain wouldn't let some stupid bastard push his crew away. A good captain was strong.

But right now he was weak. And Luffy hated it

If he had been strong, his crew would be here. If he was strong, Ace wouldn't be dead. If he was strong, he wouldn't need Jinbe to remind him to keep fighting. But he wasn't strong, because if he were strong he wouldn't have broken his promise to keep his family safe. What good was it to be a pirate if he couldn't have his friends with him? What good was freedom if he had no one to share it with?

This feeling, knowing he was weak, was bad. It was like when Sabo died, but worse, because he was bigger now. He was a real pirate, having adventure, living his life without regrets; but he wasn't strong enough yet to protect everyone. It ate up at his insides, gnawing worse than any hunger, with a tearing feeling that was there even though he was rubber. The horrible heavy feeling that he had after fighting Usopp was back too. Luffy didn't think even Robin had words big enough to describe the deep hole that was in his heart.

Because even though he didn't share a cup of sake with anyone but Ace and Sabo didn't mean that his crew wasn't family. And it was _his_ job to keep them safe and protect their dreams. They did stuff for him all the time, like cook and steer the ship because he was bad at it. It was his job as the captain to kick anyone's ass that messed with them, because he was supposed to be strong.

But Luffy wasn't strong, that much was painfully clear.

So that had to change. That weakness was not welcome on the _Sunny_. If he was going to have the most freedom on the whole world, that weakness had to go away and never come back. If he didn't want to lose another member of his family he would have to become strong. No, he would have to become the _strongest_. Only then would Luffy be worthy of the hat that sat on his head.

Luffy knew he couldn't face his crew yet. That's why he stood on the mystery island with the weird weather with Gold Roger's first mate. He listened intently and watched closely as the old man explained and demonstrated haki. When the Straw Hat Pirates saw each other again, Luffy would be sure that nothing could get in their way. They would go to the New World and have adventures and fun, get in fights, and find One Piece. Zoro would be the best swordsman, Nami would make her map, Usopp would be brave like his dad, Sanji would find his fish, Chopper would be the best doctor, Robin would find her mystery words, _Sunny_ would sail around the world with Franky, and Brook would see Laboon. Luffy would make sure of it.

But before he could do that, Straw Hat Luffy would have to go on vacation. In two years they'd find each other like he promised. After two years no stupid bear would push his crew away, no robots (no matter how cool the lasers) would ever threaten him, and no bastards made of magma would _ever_ hurt his family _ever_ again.

Luffy knows he will find his strength, he will protect his family, and he will become the Pirate King. He made a promise, a promise to live without any regrets and he intends to keep it.

And as Luffy put his hat on the rock, he thinks that Ace would approve.

AN: So there's the main cast! Woot woot! You didn't think I was done did you? Of course not, I have two more chapters planned, so stay tuned. And thanks again for all of the support and response, it makes my day.


	10. Love

If there was one thing that Vivi knew, it was rebuilding a country after a horrible civil war and years of drought was a difficult and time exhaustive task that was absolutely draining, not to mention expensive. It required a strong sense of duty, unity, and a love of the people.

The results, however, were extremely satisfying.

Vivi knew that staying in Alabasta was the right decision. She had probably known all along that being with her people was the morally correct and responsible thing to do. After all, the rebellion had left deep wounds that didn't just _heal_. Bringing Alabasta back to its former glory took time and effort, and more time and more effort, not to mention all the determination it required to simply move forward rather than dwell in the past.

Throughout the whole process, Vivi missed her friends terribly. The things that she had gone through with the Straw Hats had brought them together in such a way where she couldn't think of them as _just friends._ According to Chaka and Pell it was more like the bond between solders who had experienced war together. Which Vivi supposed was fitting, even though they were pirates and she was a princess.

Being separated from the Straw Hats might have been slightly more bearable if they weren't wanted by the World Government (a fact that gave Vivi more than a little guilt, seeing as how it was Crocodile's defeat that put them on the map). As it was she couldn't call or even write them. All she could do was keep a close eye on the papers and silently root for the irregular group that had saved her home.

And boy oh boy did they make the papers. First was the Enies Lobby incident, then Sabaody, with Impel Down and Marineford soon to follow. The world was buzzing with the exploits of the "Supernovas", comparing Luffy with the likes of Law, Kidd, and Drake.

Then, after one last public showing, they _disappeared_. Poof, gone, with only a cryptic clue as to their whereabouts. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into _years _without word of the Straw Hats. Eventually the puzzling vanishing act became old news, and the papers moved onto other, more pressing matters. General consensus was that Luffy was dead and his followers disbanded.

Those speculative reports hurt the worst. Vivi didn't think any of them were dead, of course, but not knowing was a terrible burden to bear. The pain Luffy had after the loss of his brother must have been horrible, and there was nothing she could do to help.

Vivi hated her feeling of helplessness. When her country had been in danger, the course of action had been clear. Now she didn't even know where her friends were. There was no course of action to be taken, because there was quite literally nothing she could do.

Kohza had noted once that sometimes she cared too much for her own good. Vivi had countered by saying it was her love for her family and her country that gave her the drive to continue.

So Vivi continued with the rebuilding efforts, and as her father's health declined she took a more active role in the rule of the kingdom. Gradually she was entrusted not only with internal affairs, but international ones as well. Slowly but surely she transformed from a naïve princess who was willing to put the succession of the royal line at risk (not to mention her life) to diffuse a rebellion into an intelligent and idealistic heir-apparent.

With this newfound power came the ability to sit in on international meetings, making her privy to sensitive top-secret information about all sorts of persons of interest (all in the name of international security, of course). Vivi got a good view of how the world was run, both the good and the bad. The aftermath of the Battle for Marineford caused major shake ups throughout the world; and between another pirate surge and the Revolutionaries the leaders of the world had their hands full.

Somewhere between meetings with her father, coordinating events with Chaka and Pell, and surveying Alabasta with Kohza a small idea surfaced in her mind. The Straw Hat pirates were among the world's "worst generation". The bounty on Luffy's head was astronomical for a man his age, and the exploits of his crew were quickly becoming legend. He and his crew would need all of the powerful friends he could get once he resurfaced. And while she was just a princess of a rebuilding nation, Alabasta's stock was rising.

Igaram had subtly warned against taking unnecessary risks. Pell and Kohza had refrained from giving advice. Her father, with all the wisdom that came with being king, had only told her to follow her heart.

Vivi, once again, knew what the right thing to do was. She loved the Straw Hats, just as deeply as she loved her kingdom. She had followed their adventures from afar, quietly wondering how much the papers really got right, wishing them well, and wondering if Luffy ever found that musician he wanted.

Now she would use her position to help in whatever way she could. She would do it for the silly captain who was willing to risk his life for a friend and the loyal and determined swordsman with the rough exterior. She would continue to fight for bossy navigators, love-struck cooks, shy doctors, and lying sharpshooters. For former enemies and friends she had never met she would gather information that may one day save their lives.

Kohza had once accused Vivi of caring too much. At the time he had been referring to how she had infiltrated Baroque Works, but it had become a sort of recurring joke of sorts for all the late nights she spent stressing about some policy or law, or when she started fretting over taxes or the state of the nation's army.

Her answer was always the same. She would do anything for the things she loved, because those were the things (or in this case, the people) that made her life worth living.


	11. Home

What is the difference between a house and a home? Well that all depends on who you ask, and when your house is a ship that has a spirit of its own complicates the matter.

The rules regarding Klabautermann were hotly debated among sailors who believed in them. Some said that they only appeared in loved ships to help those aboard, and as such were good luck; others thought them to be unlucky because they only showed themselves on doomed ships. Some thought they had intelligence of their own, so there was no way they could be lucky or unlucky, because they were tricky buggers that only did as they pleased; while there was a faction of people that just knew for a fact that a ship's Klabautermann took on the personality of the shipwright that built him or the captain that led him (the details were sketchy). Of course the majority of sailors refused to believe in them at all, because it was obvious to them that in a world with magic fruit and logic defying oceans that ship spirits were simply impossible. The only things (people?) that knew for sure were the Klabautermann, and they weren't telling.

None of that had ever really mattered to _Merry_. In the beginning all she had been was a small caravel, set to sail the safe waters of the East Blue. Being a pirate ship had never really been in her blueprints, but East Blue was really _that_ dangerous, and the ones sailing her were kids, probably just playing at being pirate anyway. Soon enough she'd get to go back to port and do what she was built for.

Slowly but surely _Merry's_ opinion of her people changed. Despite having very little experience on the water she knew that the people on board were different, special even. The_ Going Merry _watched (well, not watched per say, more like felt) as she was transformed from a simple little pirate ship into a home.

Usopp was first. He obviously was not a carpenter of any sort, and though he often grumbled and complained about fixing her he always tried his best. _Merry _knew he wasn't mad at her for not being strong enough, but was instead mad at himself for not being able to repair her adequately. In time she felt the others subtly give him the encouragement he needed to become stronger.

It didn't take Zoro long to get comfortable either. _Merry_ knew his favorite spots to nap were the ones were he could laze in the sun, but still listen in on the crew at the same time. His absolute favorite was the one place where he could do both and be an annoying trip hazard to Sanji at the same time. The fights those two would get into always scared _Merry_ a little (as the chances of something breaking were quite high), but after witnessing them both fight real enemies she realized that neither of them really went all out in their spars.

As for the cook, he was truly at home in his kitchen preparing something complicated and delicious for the others. It was almost as if Sanji were dancing as he gracefully went from one station to the other in a rhythm that only he really understood. And he always took the time to make sure she was properly cleaned after every meal, no matter how crazy Luffy had been, a sentiment that she greatly appreciated.

When she had just joined, Nami seemed to be very demeaning of her fellow crew members. After the first storm they sailed through together (and every storm thereafter) when she was able to guide_ Merry_ through the cold, cruel waters, it became obvious that Nami cared deeply for both her ship and crew and that she would do everything in her power to lead them to safe waters. Besides, without her unique forms of discipline_ Merry_ would have accidently been smashed to smithereens ages ago.

The little doctor, Chopper, had never been to sea before boarding. He was all excitement and enthusiasm. Despite his brilliant mind he had a poor understanding of how the world worked, and was quickly caught up in the fact that he was a _real _pirate sailing under a _real_ flag. Chopper's reverence for the ship he was sailing on was second only to Usopp, and the he often attempted to help Usopp with repairs.

_Merry_ had known ever since Vivi and her duck joined the Straw Hats that she was not going to stay forever. There had been a tug in Vivi's heart that was leading her towards her real home on that strange desert land. That had made _Merry_ sad for a while, because Vivi always made it a point to handle things with care, as if she were afraid of breaking whatever she held in her hands. The princess had always walked quietly, but with a strong sense of purpose as she pursued her goals. _Merry_ also knew, even as Vivi left the ship for the last time, that the princess would always be a welcome guest and the friendships that had been built would not fade no matter how many seas stood between them.

After Vivi had left a new woman, Robin, had joined. _Merry_ hadn't liked her at all to begin with. There was fakeness about her that the sent chills through the ship. It offended _Merry_ that Robin didn't think her as home, despite her people doing everything in their power to make her feel welcome. That too eventually changed, as Robin's façade slowly crumbled under the Straw Hat's…Straw Hat-ness. And when Robin had left, and as her people started tearing apart, _Merry _began to feel afraid.

_Merry_ knew that she was just a broken little caravel, not worthy of sailing the dangerous seas around her. But she also knew she was the home of the Straw Hat Pirates, and her journey with them, being surrounded by their joy and togetherness had made her happy. The way she felt when Luffy was just sitting on her figure head, not really thinking about anything, but just being content made her proud to be his ship. All along _Merry_ had known that the reason Luffy hadn't recruited a shipwright yet was because he hadn't found one worthy of fixing her. She was, after all, the house that his family lived in.

Now that was in danger. Now _Merry _was a doomed ship, and her people were in trouble. The nails that drove them together were beginning to loosen, and if they were to survive she would have to go to sea one last time.

_Merry's_ only regret was that she couldn't take them just a little bit further on their journey, and her only wish was that she could tell their next ship everything that made her family so wonderful.

* * *

><p><em>Sunny<em> knew that he was a pretty super ship. Both his design and his materials were state of the art, and the carpenters that built him were world class. He knew he was strong, and awesome, and above all _badass_. He had the power of the sun, the fierceness of a lion, and the durability to last one thousand years.

He was also nervous as Hell about sailing around the Grand Line.

Because even though he could Ganon Cannon enemy ships into oblivion, that didn't guarantee that his people would like him. It was obvious to _Sunny_ that his crew was grieving over the loss of his predecessor. He heard them talk about this _Merry_ ship, and how she sailed herself to them when there was no hope, and how she was loved enough to actually talk to them.

_Sunny_ was pretty sure that any attempts at self sailing would end in disaster, and he sure as Hell knew that he couldn't _talk_ to them, no matter how much he'd really like to. How in the world had that other ship managed to do it? He was a boat, for goodness sake!

So, yeah, he had a lot to prove.

At least he was well taken care of. His designer was tagging along for the ride, it seemed. _Sunny_ always felt really good when Franky worked on him. Franky would make sure that he was the best, and anyone that dared try harming his baby was in for a world of hurt. To Franky, _Sunny_ was more than just a pirate ship, he was his dream.

"You're a pretty super ship, ya know that?" he would say.

And _Sunny_ believed him.

In that same line of thought, the captain was smitten at first sight. _Sunny_ came to learn that Luffy was never one to live in the past, so he never blamed his ship for not being like _Merry_. Luffy liked to goof off and go exploring, both on his ship and around the world. To him, _Sunny_ was going to sail around the Grand Line, because he was the best ship in the world, and that was that.

"Awesome!" was all he needed to say to make his feelings known.

All it took was one look at his new weight room and one nap on the lawn-deck for Zoro to settle down into his new living arrangements.

"Zzzz." Was all _Sunny_ needed to hear to know that he was perfectly happy with the new ship.

Sanji had a little trouble adjusting. To be completely fair, on _Merry_ he had had months to arrange his kitchen until it had been perfect. It took the cook several weeks to get everything in the order he wanted it. The very first meal he made was accidently set on fire because Franky had gotten a little overexcited when calibrating the stove. Between his swearing and attempts to kick anyone that got near 'his stuff' _Sunny_ was worried that Sanji would never be happy with the changes that had been made. His fears were quickly dispelled when Sanji discovered the depth of Franky's foresight.

"Sweet merciful God! The refrigerator has a lock!"

Likewise, Chopper spent hours in his new sick bay. The little doctor made _Sunny_ feel very happy when he would squeal with delight every time he found a new reindeer friendly feature. After thoroughly examining everything there was to examine he ran around the ship with Luffy exploring. And even though _Sunny_ knew he was mourning for _Merry_, Chopper still got excited about the little things.

"You mean I won't clog up the drains anymore? _Sunny_ is just too cool!"

Nami just rolled her eyes. The woman seemed unflappable. It didn't matter how many cola based devices were shown to her, she remained unimpressed. _Sunny _was beginning to think she had a heart of stone. But one late night as she was up studying her charts, he heard her whisper,

"_Merry_ might have gone ten thousand meters into the sky, but with my help you're going to go ten thousand meters under the sea."

Robin was equally unfazed by the technological wonders _Sunny_ had installed. She was, however, quietly happy with her library. She was different from the others in that she didn't talk a lot, so it was hard for _Sunny _to get a read on her. Robin seemed content for the most part, but _Sunny_ wasn't content letting her be content. He was supposed to be the best, damn it; there must be something in board that got her excited like the others.

"Once upon a time, in a far away land…" as Robin told an ancient story to the rest of the crew, _Sunny_ understood that there was no place she would rather be. She just had a different way of showing it.

Usopp had held out the longest of them all. Even when he helped Franky with repairs and upgrades, _Sunny_ could just tell that he was being compared to the other ship. _Sunny _didn't understand. He was better in every conceivable way from the _Going Merry_. He was going to be the ship of the Pirate King, no one on board doubted that. Why couldn't Usopp move past his loss?

Then Franky had presented Usopp with the _Mini Merry_. There had been that moment of initial shock, and then _Sunny_ felt something shift inside Usopp.

"_Merry…_" he whispered. Then Usopp looked at _Sunny_ as if it were his first time seeing it. And they both understood. _Merry _wasn't gone, not really. A part of her was continuing her journey with her family, but it was _Sunny's _job to be a haven for all of them. He was the lion, and he would protect the lamb. After they had that little understanding, Usopp began his tinkering with earnest, and under Franky's watchful eye improved his skill set dramatically.

After the adventures of Thriller Bark, the Straw Hats picked up a new crewmate. The eccentric skeleton-musician-pirate was boisterous and rude. _Sunny_ liked his attitude a lot, and loved his music more. Now there was even less quiet time, and more life, which made _Sunny _feel proud as a ship.

To make Brook feel welcome, Franky was kind enough to renovate an old storage room into a super-special composer room, where Brook would have all the things he needed to make and practice his art (emphasis on the practice, after the incident where he found a new piece of 'modern' violin music and decided to play it at three in the morning. Nami had not been amused). Strangely enough, Brook didn't spend much time in it, preferring (when allowed) to play on deck where everyone could hear him. It hadn't made much sense to _Sunny_ until late one night when Brook had woken up with a gasp.

"They're here," he whispered after looking (did he look? _Sunny _wasn't sure how that all worked) around at his bunkmates, "They're here. Not alone. I'm not alone." And _Sunny _suddenly felt a sadness shudder through his planks, which made him feel a coldness he didn't understand. Ever since he had been built, he had been surrounded by family, and warmth, and happiness.

_Sunny_ did not like that cold feeling. This was Brook's new home, and whatever haunted his past didn't matter, because he was with family. This was the place where he was safe.

So _Sunny_ gathered up the warmth that surrounded him, the warmth that came off of the other Straw Hats. He collected it until he couldn't collect any more, and let it seep into the floor, through the bed where Brook lay. _Sunny_ let it course and circulate through his body like the currents did through the ocean, doing his best to show Brook what he had now was more important than what he had lost in the past.

The skeleton let out a sigh of relief, and sank deeper into his bed and back into a deep sleep. _Sunny_ stopped, exhausted, but pleased with his work. He didn't know for sure what had just happened, or how he had done it. All he knew is that it had been necessary.

The next day, early in the morning, Brook woke up and locked himself into his composing room. Three days he stayed in there, only coming out for meals. The rest worried, and contemplated battering down the door to see what was wrong with him.

But on the third day, he came out, bow and violin in hand. He started a song. It was fast and slow, happy and sad, major and minor, complex in its simplicity. The Straw Hats stood slack jawed, and when he finished them were each wanting him to continue.

"Wow that was awesome! What's it called?" Luffy exclaimed.

"I call it _Family_. But fear not, that is only the first movement. There is much more where that came from, yohoho, if you will only let me see it, even if I have no eyes in which to see it! Skull joke, yohohoho!"

The Straw Hat Pirates quickly dissolved into a mass of laughing and shouting as they threw both compliments and insults toward one another in harmless fun. _Sunny_ knew that it would be just another normal day for them, and he loved them all the more for it.

Because the _Thousand Sunny_ might be their home, without them being the family that they were he would just be another pirate ship.

AN: And that's a wrap, unless we get another crewmate down the line, then I'll have to think of something. Maybe, depends on who it is.

And me starting and ending with a Brook-centric bit just kind of happened by accident, but hey, it brings things full circle.

And I don't know about the rest of you, but I would like to see more Klabauterman (men? Is there a plural form?)_. _Because, yes, ships are people too.

For everyone sticking with me, thanks for seeing me through my first "project", I have some more things in the works, mostly One Piece but not all. Someone's gone ahead and added this to two communities, both with some good fics in them so be sure to check those out. If I didn't get back to all my reviewers, I deeply apologize. Blame my newbie status, and feel free to shake your head in disappointment.

If you review tell me who was your favorite and least favorite, and how I can improve. I'll take all constructive criticism to heart, and hopefully do a little bit better the next time.


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